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As airstrikes rain down on the Iranian regime, can a fractured opposition unite to lead if it falls?

As U.S. and Israeli air forces continue to attack Iran’s leadership and facilities with devastating military strikes, there are intense discussions unfolding about who will rule the country if the regime falls.

One of the biggest questions being asked by Iran experts is whether the fragmented opposition groups can come together and unite in defeating the regime.

Lawdan Bazargan, anIranian political and human rights activist who was imprisoned by the regime for her dissident activities in the 1980s, told Fox News Digital there is a dangerous precedent for a total unified opposition. 

Unity cannot mean everyone stands under my flag,’ she said. 

‘That model failed Iran once before. In 1979, one figure [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini] absorbed moral authority while claiming he wasn’t seeking office and ended up consolidating absolute power. It’s also not fair to automatically position someone who has not lived in Iran for decades as the interim authority of over 90 million people. That fuels more mistrust, not less.’

She also warned about the need to avoid a Venezuela situation in which Nicolás Maduro was replaced by his devotee, Delcy Rodríguez.

Mariam Memarsadeghi, a senior fellow at The Macdonald-Laurier Institute and founder and director of the Cyrus Forum for Iran’s Future, told Fox News Digital, ‘When it comes to helping unite opposition forces, the crown prince [Reza Pahlavi] has the most responsibility because he is leading. It is to everyone’s advantage for him to build true alliances and real cooperation.

‘He can start through reconciliation with prominent figures who once were in collaboration with him before spoilers in his own ranks were propelled by regime manipulation and infiltration to turn on others. It will be tempting to think that, because he is popular, he does not need others. But there is much hard work ahead.’

Reza Farnood, a researcher, writer and activist, told Fox News Digital, ‘In 48 years of activism and struggle, I have never experienced such broad unity and alignment. Even those who for years held firmly leftist views and were staunch opponents of the Shah and the Pahlavi family are now openly supporting the prince. Inside Iran, people are openly and courageously chanting his name.’

Yet others remain skeptical of Pahlavi. 

‘Unfortunately, the Iranian opposition is more divided than ever,’ Alireza Nader, an Iran expert, said. ‘And I blame much of it on Reza Pahlavi and his team. Take the announcement of the formation of the new Kurdish Iranian coalition. Pahlavi attacked the coalition as soon as it was formed, labeling them as ‘separatists.’ 

‘But then Pahlavi had to walk back his statement after he found out that President Trump had called Kurdish leaders, an important development.’

Nader added, ‘The Kurds are very organized and capable. And they are armed. Anyone who wants to free Iran has to work with them. The regime is a deeply entrenched system in Iran. It’s an ideology and belief system that will not be uprooted with air strikes. And the regime has been preparing for this moment for decades. The individual leaders may not matter as much as the system.’

Yet while many voices claim Pahlavi should be the rightful successor to bring democracy to Iran, others point to the influential Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), the Iranian exile organization that has attracted supporters like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The group was reportedly the first to highlight Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions and regularly posts videos on its social media showing its active units operating against the regime. A post on X dated March 3 shows attacks against regime targets.

‘Resistance Units step up anti-regime activities nationwide,’ it said, adding that there have been 30 operations in 15 cities, including Tehran, in recent days.

Its Paris-based leader, Maryam Rajavi, says she supports a secular provisional government. Ali Safavi, an official with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital, the organization ‘has consistently argued that unity must be built on principles — republicanism, popular sovereignty, human rights and the separation of religion and state — rather than on personalities or nostalgia for past systems.’

The NCRI is the umbrella organization for groups that fall under MEK.

Andrew Ghalili, the policy director for the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), defended Pahlavi’s standing, saying, ‘There is no figure within the Islamic Republic who has legitimacy with the Iranian people or who would be a credible partner for the U.S.

‘As for opposition unity, the pro-democracy opposition is more united than it gets credit for. At the Munich Security Conference in 2025, a broad coalition came together around Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and four core principles for democratic transition. That includes monarchists, republicans, human rights advocates, ethnic minority representatives — all committed to a democratic, territorially intact Iran.’

Ghalili claimed, ‘When people say the opposition is ‘fractured,’ they’re usually lumping in groups like the MEK, which is universally reviled inside Iran and has no democratic credentials or aspirations, or separatist movements that don’t reflect what Iranians, including ethnic minorities, actually want. The real pro-democracy opposition is already uniting. The world, and international media, should recognize it.’

‘If the West truly wants stability and not a Venezuela-style managed authoritarian transition, it should not anoint personalities,’ Bazargan warned. ‘It should push for a structured transition that guarantees free and fair elections within 12 months, with distributed authority and real safeguards against concentration of power. 

‘Iran does not need another supreme figure, even a secular one. It needs an accountable transitional framework, so every Iranian feels they have a stake in their future. Without that, fragmentation will continue, and fragmentation only helps the regime survive.’

Her warning was echoed by Memarsadeghi, who said, ‘The Iranian people will not trust in any process that leaves in power any vestige of the regime that massacred them.’

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Walz mocked online after GOP lawmaker floats theory in heated hearing about why Kamala Harris chose him as VP

GOP Rep. Pat Fallon blasted Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in a heated fraud hearing on Wednesday in an exchange that was quickly amplified by conservatives on social media. 

‘It’s been widely reported that in 2008, when Barack Obama was choosing his vice presidential candidate, he had three criteria. He wanted to make sure he picked someone that wasn’t as smart as him and had less talent and charisma and couldn’t possibly outshine him, so he picked Joe Biden,’ Fallon said in the House Oversight Committee hearing. 

‘And then Joe Biden in 2020 used the exact same criteria,’ Fallon continued. ‘He wanted to make sure he picked somebody that wasn’t as smart as him, had less talent and charisma, and wouldn’t outshine him, and he picked Kamala Harris.’

Fallon went on to say that in 2024, ‘I think it’s very evident why Kamala Harris picked you.’

Walz appeared to take the criticism in stride as he laughed and responded with, ‘I wouldn’t know, Congressman.’

‘The talent pool isn’t just shallow, brother, we have hit the shore,’ Fallon said before ending his questioning. 

The clip immediately made waves on social media, particularly from conservatives.

‘Tim Walz just got SCORCHED,’ conservative commentator Nick Sortor posted on X. 

Conservative influencer account Libs of TikTok called the exchange ‘one of the most INCREDIBLE OWNS in American politics.’

‘Rep. Pat Fallon torches Tim Walz,’ Brandon Straka, the founder of the #walkaway campaign, posted on X.

Much has been made in media reports and books in recent months about what went into Harris’s decision to name Tim Walz as her running mate instead of other candidates, particularly Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Ultimately, according to the book ‘2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,’ Harris ‘went with her gut’ and chose Walz believing he was the ‘better fit’ in a decision her staff was ‘unanimously behind.’

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Operation Epic Fury survives Senate challenge as Republicans close ranks behind Trump

Senate Republicans closed ranks Wednesday, handing President Donald Trump a win on his use of force in Iran, despite lingering questions about America’s involvement in the Middle East.

The Senate shot down a resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., aimed at limiting Trump’s military actions in Iran on Wednesday, following days of speculation about whether Republicans would cross the aisle — as they have done before — to reprimand the president.

The administration pushed hard to lobby support for Operation Epic Fury, holding several briefings with Congress to make its case. It appeared to work, at least for now, convincing some Republicans on the fence to back continued military action in Iran.

Only Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted in favor of the resolution, while Sen. Jon Fetterman, D-Pa., was the lone Democrat to cross the aisle in support.

Democrats argued that Trump’s actions were another instance of him disregarding Congress’ authority to use military force, that they lacked a clear strategy going forward and, further, that they were yet another campaign promise he had broken.

‘It’s time for the president to keep promises, not break them,’ Kaine said ahead of the vote. ‘That’s why I’m so glad that we’re going to put everybody on the record … Nobody gets to hide and give the president an easy pass or an end run around the Constitution.’

Democrats also seized on the administration’s refusal to rule out sending U.S. troops into Iran.

‘They refuse to take off the table the insertion of ground troops,’ said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., warning the conflict could expand beyond air and naval operations. ‘This is going to make the operations in Libya look like child’s play.’

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who previously supported a resolution to rein in Trump’s war powers in Venezuela, said he would oppose the latest effort.

But like last time, he said a ground operation would require congressional approval.

‘I’ve always said that committing ground troops would be something I think would require immediate congressional authorization, but that doesn’t appear to be on the immediate horizon,’ Hawley said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., argued that the goalposts kept moving for the administration, which he said was a clear sign that ‘a strategy is missing.’

Republicans countered that the president acted within his constitutional authority as commander in chief. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called the War Powers Act ‘an unconstitutional shift of authority from the president,’ arguing Congress retains the ability to restrict funding if it disagrees with military action.

‘We don’t need 535 commanders in chief,’ said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., arguing against the legislation.

There was also fatigue among some in the GOP over Kaine’s repeated efforts to reassert congressional authority in conflicts.

Republicans privately huddled Tuesday to discuss the strikes and the upcoming war powers vote ahead of their briefing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan ‘Raizin’ Caine and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

A source familiar with the closed-door discussion told Fox News Digital that Republicans who may have been swayed were frustrated with Kaine’s repeated use of the Senate floor to push resolutions limiting Trump’s war authorities.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., noted that it was Kaine’s fifth resolution to rein in Trump’s war powers since he returned to office last year, which accounts for nearly half of all war powers resolutions put forward in U.S. history.

‘These resolutions have been used only 11 times in 50 years,’ Barrasso said. ‘The senator from Virginia alone accounts for nearly half of them. Yet Senator Kaine introduced zero war powers resolutions when Barack Obama and Joe Biden were president.’

Rubio told reporters after a briefing with every senator on Tuesday that the administration had complied with the War Powers Act, though it believes the law is unconstitutional and noted that congressional leaders had been notified ahead of the strikes.

Rubio had previously suggested that the U.S. carried out Operation Epic Fury after it became clear that Israel intended to strike Iran first, a point he later walked back.

‘If you tell the President of the United States that if we don’t go first, we’re going to have more people killed and more people injured, the president is going to go first,’ Rubio said. ‘That’s what he did. That’s what the president will always do.’

Meanwhile, U.S. forces have now struck more than 2,000 targets in Iran, largely focusing on taking out the regime’s air defenses and missile capacity. Six U.S. service members have been killed in the operation, as have nearly 50 top Iranian leaders.

The Iranian government claims at least 1,045 people have been killed throughout Iran during the operation.

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$4.2M US torpedo detonates under Iranian warship in historic ‘No Mercy’ strike

A multi-million-dollar U.S. Navy torpedo detonated underneath an Iranian warship in a nighttime submarine strike off Sri Lanka’s southern coast — an attack, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday in a Pentagon update, was the first of its kind since World War II.

The weapon, identified as a Mark 48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) torpedo, underscored the scale of force used, and signaled to Tehran that ‘the gloves really are off,’ according to a former U.S. submarine commander.

‘The Mark 48 is one of the most lethal anti-ship weapons in the U.S. inventory,’ Thomas Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Fox News Digital.

The torpedo carries a 650-pound warhead and is designed not to strike a ship directly, Shugart said, but to detonate beneath it, creating a massive vapor bubble that breaks the vessel’s back and splits it in half.

‘This torpedo detonated underneath the stern of the Iranian ship and lifted it up out of the water, and so it sank in a matter of minutes,’ he added.

The torpedo costs approximately $4.2 million per unit, according to recent data, with Shugart likening the strike to rare submarine attacks in modern naval history.

In addition to World War II, he pointed to the 1982 Falklands War as one example of a submarine-launched torpedo sinking a major surface combatant.

‘This was the second time ever that a nuclear-powered submarine has fired a torpedo and sunk a ship,’ Shugart said.

‘The only other time that happened was a British submarine called HMS Conqueror, which similarly sank an Argentine cruiser, the General Belgrano, during the Falklands War in 1982,’ he added.

The naval submarine operation, he said, would have involved increased surveillance, forward naval deployments and targeted actions designed to demonstrate U.S. maritime dominance.

‘It definitely seems to me like a message that the gloves really are off,’ Shugart added.

‘An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,’ Hegseth told reporters at the Wednesday briefing.

Hesgeth described the strike as ‘a quiet death,’ adding that it marked the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II.

‘The U.S. Navy submarines are very highly mobile, very, very quiet, and our crews are extremely well-trained,’ Shugart explained. ‘This was not a challenge for a U.S. Navy submarine to fire a torpedo.’

‘To hunt down and sink an Iranian ship like that is not — that’s not a challenging task for a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine,’ he said.

The targeted vessel, identified as the IRIS Dena, was the newest frigate in Iran’s naval fleet and was equipped with surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, torpedo launchers and other heavy weaponry.

According to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath, the country’s coast guard received a distress call at 5:08 a.m. local time Wednesday from the Iranian vessel reporting an explosion.

‘I’m not sure Iran has any operational submarines anymore, but if they were operational, their biggest submarines would be at least 20 or 30 years old,’ Shugart said.

‘They would be ex-Russian diesel-electric submarines, so they’re not nuclear-powered like the U.S. ones, with satellite communications and unlimited mobility.’

‘The U.S. submarines can operate at high speed for as long as they want with unlimited endurance, other than the food on board. They carry the most advanced weapons, the most advanced sensors.’

‘This strike sent a message that if there are any Iranian warships left or any Iranian government-owned ships, they should expect no mercy,’ he added.

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Physicist lawmaker warns Iran could build ‘Hiroshima-style’ weapon, says US lacks uranium plan

A House Democrat with a background in physics is sounding the alarm over what he views as a lack of a plan to deal with Iran’s nuclear sites during the U.S. offensive campaign.

After a classified briefing Tuesday with top administration officials, Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., said lawmakers were not presented with a clear plan to secure or neutralize Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.

‘We have heard that they never had a plan for that nuclear stockpile of enriched uranium — to destroy that, to seize it or to put it under international inspection,’ he said.

The U.S. intervention was publicly justifiedby the Trump administration as a necessary step to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. 

U.S. forces have struck more than 1,700 targets across Iran, including ballistic missile launch sites, air defenses, naval assets and command centers. Core nuclear facilities, however, have not been among the primary targets.

‘Until that happens, Iran will be very, very close to making — as many observers have pointed out in a nonclassified situation — Iran can use that material to make a handful of Hiroshima-style nuclear devices,’ Foster told Fox News Digital. ‘Not the sort you can put on a missile, but the sort you can deliver by a number of other ways and are very hard to stop.’ 

Foster was referring to Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, material that, if weaponized, could be used to build a nuclear explosive device.

Experts note that building a compact warhead that fits on a ballistic missile is technically complex and requires advanced engineering. But a simpler, larger nuclear device — similar in basic concept to the bomb the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945 — would not need to be miniaturized to fit on a missile. Such a device could not be delivered by long-range rocket but could theoretically be transported by other means.

Foster argued that containing Iran’s nuclear materials, most of which are buried deep underground, would likely require U.S. forces to enter Iran.

Recent satellite imagery shows damage to support buildings and access points at Iran’s Natanz enrichment site, though the deepest underground infrastructure at key nuclear facilities has not been confirmed as a primary target in the current campaign.

U.S. and international officials previously have acknowledged that while strikes can damage enrichment infrastructure, stockpiled enriched uranium stored underground may remain intact and potentially retrievable unless physically secured or removed.

‘You have to go in there with boots on the ground and grab a bunch of equipment,’ Foster said. ‘You have to go underground into those facilities and lose a lot of soldiers’ lives doing that.

‘They’re unwilling to do that, or they’ve decided not to or they’ve decided it’s impossible. In any case, they did not present to us any plan that would actually get the material under control.’

Without securing the nuclear material, he argued, military operations may push Iran closer to a nuclear weapon than diplomatic negotiations would have.

‘The only positive thing about the ayatollah is that he had a fatwa against building nuclear weapons,’ Foster said. ‘Who knows what the next generation of ayatollahs are going to feel? They’re going to be under a lot of pressure from the IRGC, which was not so much against having a nuclear weapon.’

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the joint U.S.-Israeli operations, had previously issued a fatwa, a religious edict, opposing the pursuit of nuclear weapons. Analysts have long debated how binding or durable that ruling was.

At a White House briefing Wednesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration believes Iran ‘wanted to build nuclear weapons to use against Americans and our allies,’ framing the strikes as necessary to prevent Tehran from advancing its nuclear ambitions.

‘The US military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and weapons stockpiles to achieve the goals of Operation Epic Fury laid out by President Trump — and beyond. Nevertheless, President Trump has always been intensely focused on strengthen our Armed Forces and he will continue to call on defense contractors to more speedily build American-made weapons, which are the best in the world,’ she said in a follow up statement to Fox News Digital. 

Missile suppression strategy faces ‘math problem’

Senior administration officials have emphasized that the current phase of the campaign is aimed at dismantling Iran’s ability to project force with missiles, drones and naval assets. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has highlighted strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile systems, air defenses and naval capabilities, describing the effort as a push to degrade the conventional tools Tehran uses to threaten U.S. forces and regional allies. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly has said the United States is working to ‘systematically take apart’ Iran’s missile program, so it could not ‘hide behind’ it to develop a nuclear weapon. 

While the broader justification for intervention centered on preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, the most immediate threat facing U.S. troops and partners has been Iran’s ongoing missile and drone launches. Administration officials contend Iran’s missile buildup was meant to create a deterrent buffer, shielding its broader strategic ambitions, including its nuclear program, from outside attack.

Lawmakers emerging from classified briefings said the campaign has become, in part, a question of sustainability.

‘We do not have an unlimited supply,’ Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said of U.S. and allied interceptor inventories. He warned the conflict could become a ‘math problem,’ balancing launch volumes against finite air defense munitions and the ability to replenish them without weakening readiness in other theaters.

‘At some point — and we’re probably already in this — this becomes a math problem,’ Kelly added.

He said he pressed defense officials on how interceptor stocks are being replenished and whether diverting munitions to the Middle East could strain U.S. readiness elsewhere.

‘How can we resupply air defense munitions? Where are they going to come from? How does that affect other theaters?’ he said. ‘The math on this currently seems to be an issue.’

Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said he also sought clarity on interceptor inventories but did not receive detailed answers.

‘I am very concerned about that,’ Kim said. ‘I did not get any specificity today. … Something akin to ‘trust us’ is not good enough for me.’

Republicans, however, pushed back on the notion that interceptor supplies are strained. 

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said officials told lawmakers U.S. forces are ‘in great shape,’ dismissing concerns about shortages.

Ehud Eilam, a former Israeli defense official and national security analyst, said that while a nuclear weapon remains the most serious long-term threat, missile and drone systems pose the most immediate danger if intelligence assessments conclude Iran is not on the verge of assembling a device.

‘As long as it is estimated Iran cannot produce a nuclear weapon soon, then the focus moves to missiles and drones,’ Eilam said, noting that ballistic missiles would ultimately be required to deliver any future nuclear warhead. Suppressing mobile launchers, crews and command networks can reduce Iran’s firing tempo, conserving interceptor supplies while degrading Tehran’s broader military capacity, he said.

The concern is not theoretical. 

During the intense June 2025 Iran–Israel conflict, U.S. forces reportedly fired more than 150 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors, roughly a quarter of the global inventory, along with large numbers of ship-based Standard Missile interceptors to shield allies. 

Analysts note that replenishing high-end air defense systems such as Patriot, THAAD and SM-3 interceptors could take more than a year under current production rates.

The Pentagon also is balancing competing demands. The same missile defense systems used to protect U.S. bases and Gulf partners are being supplied to Ukraine to defend against Russian cruise missile attacks, creating what some analysts describe as a ‘zero-sum’ competition for inventory between Europe and the Middle East.

‘There is a limit to how many THAAD missiles can be used,’ Eilam said. ‘These are not systems you can reproduce overnight.’

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NFL mock draft: How does Trent McDuffie deal affect Ty Simpson, others?

The NFL is just days removed from its annual scouting combine − and is still a week away from the official start of free agency − and the landscape is already shifting significantly.

USA TODAY Sports confirmed the Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to deal All-Pro CB Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a package of draft picks, including the 29th overall this year. The deal immediately bolsters an LA secondary set to lose CBs Cobie Durant, Roger McCreary and Ahkello Witherspoon in free agency while giving K.C. valuable draft capital and cap space given McDuffie is owed $13.6 million (the fifth-year option of his rookie deal) in 2026 and will need a lucrative extension, too, if the Rams plan to keep him off the free agent market in 2027.

As for the draft? The blockbuster will likely create a ripple effect throughout Round 1 of the draft given the Chiefs’ added firepower and the Rams’ relinquishment of their own. Here’s an updated version of our post-combine mock draft:

1. Las Vegas Raiders – QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

He didn’t work out in Indy. Didn’t have to. When you’re 6-foot-5, 236 pounds, paced FBS with 41 TD passes, process like a microchip and just led your school to a magical national championship? Heck, there’s virtually nothing Mendoza can do at this point to help his football résumé – though interactions with reporters and his fellow combine attendees continued to burnish his reputation as an outstanding person and teammate. (And good news − now he doesn’t have to contend with McDuffie twice a year!) The Jets are basically on the clock.

2. New York Jets – OLB/DE David Bailey, Texas Tech

The Stanford grad came into his own with the Big 12 champion Red Raiders in 2025, tying for first in the FBS with 14½ sacks while leading the field with a 20.2% pressure percentage and mixing in 19½ tackles for losses. Bailey is scheme diverse, which could also be a boon for a team switching to a three-man front and one that just offloaded DE Jermaine Johnson II, who was optimal for Tennessee’s 4-3 defense.

3. Arizona Cardinals – OLB/DE Arvell Reese, Ohio State

Arizona is the proverbial team that could be at least a year away from being a year away − and maybe two years away from being a year away after QB Kyler Murray confirmed March 3 that the team will release him. But if there was a quarterback worthy of the No. 3 overall pick … then the Jets would have taken him at No. 2. And that means Arizona GM Monti Ossenfort, who traded out of the opportunity to take future All-Pro DE Will Anderson Jr. in 2023, probably needs to be in the business of accumulating blue-chip players – and Reese projects as one. The Micah Parsons comparisons are obviously premature, but Reese, who turns 21 in August, has plenty of time to develop into a full-time pass rusher and maybe justify the comp one day. And getting to the quarterback is especially important in the NFC West, where the Cards are looking way up at their competition right now.

4. Tennessee Titans – RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

What’s the best way to advance the development of QB Cam Ward, last year’s No. 1 overall pick? How about giving him a player perhaps adjacent to Saquon Barkley or Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs in terms of game-breaking ability and versatility? Love is an every-down back, one who’s averaged 6.9 yards per carry and caught 55 passes over the past two seasons. The Titans could keep his usage in check as a rookie with RB Tony Pollard under contract for one more season. But pairing Love and Ward could potentially create an offense primed to surge ticket sales when the Titans move into their new stadium in 2027.

5. New York Giants – LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Arguably the star of this year’s combine given the freakish traits (4.46 40-yard dash, 43½-inch vertical leap) he put on display Thursday, the 6-foot-5, 244-pound converted safety could immediately take over the middle of a front-loaded defense – and new Giants coach John Harbaugh is certainly accustomed to having an athletic and cerebral monster orchestrating that side of the ball.

6. Cleveland Browns – OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)

A three-year starter for the Hurricanes at right tackle, the 6-foot-6, 329-pound mauler could be the perfect foundation for a team that needs to rebuild its offensive line – which is the primary offseason priority, whether or not GM Andrew Berry and first-year coach Todd Monken revisit the quarterback position. Monken indicated at the combine that improved blocking was paramount in Cleveland, and the team’s pending acquisition of Tytus Howard − he’s played every O-line position but center in the NFL − doesn’t preclude taking Mauigoa.

7. Washington Commanders – S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

Is he the best defender in this draft? Arguably. Can he play exceptionally in the slot, box or center field? Yep. And Washington could need a leader who can make plays behind the line given the potential departure of LB Bobby Wagner, who will be 36 next season, in free agency.

8. New Orleans Saints – WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

The latest ready-made wideout product emerging from the Buckeyes’ pipeline, he and fellow Ohio Stater Chris Olave would give second-year QB Tyler Shough quite a tandem – and Olave needs the help given Rashid Shaheed was New Orleans’ second-most productive wideout in 2025 … despite getting traded halfway through the season.

9. Kansas City Chiefs – CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

Almost certainly the premier corner available this year, the 6-foot, 187-pound All-America approximates McDuffie’s size and has lockdown ability that should eventually allow coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to deploy him in multiple schemes and against just about any kind of receiver imaginable. McDuffie was known for his ability to man the slot, an area where Delane was rarely used at Virginia Tech and LSU − but even McDuffie mostly lined up wide the past two seasons.

10. Cincinnati Bengals – DE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.)

Much has been made about his short arms, but they didn’t stop him from being extremely productive – often against NFL-caliber offensive tackles – for the ‘Canes. Bain bulled his way to 9½ sacks and 15½ TFLs last season and was a menace during the College Football Playoff. Cincinnati could certainly use pass rush help, especially with DE Trey Hendrickson now officially liberated and able to depart during free agency.

11. Miami Dolphins – OT Spencer Fano, Utah

A rebuilding team could go in any number of directions, and free agency will certainly further shape rookie GM Jon-Eric Sullivan’s roster-altering strategy. But the offensive line is always a logical place to start, particularly given the issues this one has had in recent years. Fano played both tackle spots for the Utes but almost exclusively on the right side the past two years. He’d probably be a significant upgrade over Fins RT Austin Jackson, who’s only under contract for one more year anyway, though Fano is willing to play guard (or center) if needed.

12. Dallas Cowboys – CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

A torn ACL cost him the entire 2025 season, but McCoy was practicing by the end of it and will be 20 months removed from the injury by the time Week 1 rolls around. DaRon Bland is the only proven corner on what will be a reimagined Dallas D in 2026, and McCoy would be a welcome addition – especially given how the board falls in this scenario.

13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – WR Denzel Boston, Washington

Obviously zero need now to reach for a corner here with McDuffie inbound. LA had the league’s No. 1 passing game in 2025 – in large part due to Puka Nacua’s heroics. But Davante Adams, 33, was the only other productive wideout and battled injuries late in the season and is only under contract for one more year. Boston (6-4, 212) is the kind of supersized red-zone target (20 TD catches since 2024) and boundary receiver who could provide an easy transition from Adams while perfectly complementing Nacua.

14. Baltimore Ravens – DL Caleb Banks, Florida

Injuries decimated this team’s line in 2025, and the future of Pro Bowler Nnamdi Madubuike very much remains in doubt after he suffered a neck injury early last season. Banks (6-6, 327), who missed much of last fall with a broken foot, is monstrously huge and talented with freaky movement skills but also a bit raw. But he is the kind of player who could help new head coach Jesse Minter re-establish Baltimore’s historical defensive dominance.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

The first tight end in combine history to record a sub-4.4 40, Sadiq, who also had a 43½-inch vert, certainly made some money over the past few days. He’d not only give QB Baker Mayfield another downfield weapon, this offense might need a partial reload with WR Mike Evans and TE Cade Otton currently unsigned for 2026.

16. Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – WR Makai Lemon, USC

With the pick obtained in last year’s trade of CB Sauce Gardner, New York must continue to build out an infrastructure and talent base with which to surround its next potential franchise quarterback – who probably won’t arrive before 2027. The Jets got very little production from the wideout position in 2025 for a variety of reasons, including Garrett Wilson missing 10 games. Lemon, a run-after-catch dynamo who typically works out of the slot, has been widely compared to fellow Trojan Amon-Ra St. Brown, whom the Jets’ Aaron Glenn coached alongside in Detroit.

17. Detroit Lions – OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia

LT Taylor Decker plans to return for his 11th season in Motown, but it’s time to lay the groundwork for a succession plan. Freeling, who’s 21, may be the best pure left tackle prospect in this draft, and his potential was evident in Sunday’s drills. But with only 16 college starts, replacing retired Dan Skipper as the swing tackle while apprenticing behind Decker would make sense. And, don’t forget, the Lions plucked starting RG Tate Ratledge out of Athens a year ago.

18. Minnesota Vikings – S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

Similar situation in the Twin Cities, where mainstay S Harrison Smith, 37, may or may not return for a 15th NFL campaign. But even if Smith comes back, pairing him with Thieneman in the short term would make sense before ultimately turning control of the defense over to the Ducks All-American. One of the combine’s standouts, Thieneman is a rangy player who can be weaponized all over the field.

19. Carolina Panthers – DT Peter Woods, Clemson

A gifted lineman who has yet to approach his maximum potential, something of a microcosm of the NFC South champions. Woods would certainly upgrade a D-line anchored by Derrick Brown, whose own ability and leadership could also help to fully unlock the All-ACC performer.

20. Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers) – OLB/DE T.J. Parker, Clemson

Dallas is transitioning to a 3-4 front this year under new coordinator Christian Parker but only has two notable edge rushers, 2025 second-rounder Donovan Ezeiruaku and James Houston, under contract going into next season – and no second-round pick in this year’s draft. T.J. Parker’s production dipped from 2024 to ’25, but he’s got more heft than Ezeiruaku and could be a nice complement with plenty of runway to become a really good one.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers – WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

Could the draft’s host team take a young quarterback to build around in the future? Sure. Is it the best move in a seemingly weaker QB class – especially if the Steelers want to give Aaron Rodgers, assuming he returns, the best chance to take this organization further in 2026? Of course not. The lack of receiving depth behind DK Metcalf was apparent last season but especially so during his late-season suspension. Tyson, a two-time All-Big 12 choice, is a complete package – and one who was coached at ASU by Steelers legend Hines Ward.

22. Los Angeles Chargers – G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

Arguably the best blocker in this draft, why wouldn’t the 6-foot-4, 320-pound road grader – one with high RPMs who lined up at tight end in some packages – be coveted by a team that so values its offensive line? And that could be particularly true at a time when the Bolts might need three new starters between the tackles.

23. Philadelphia Eagles – DE/OLB Akheem Mesidor, Miami (Fla.)

They didn’t generate nearly the same level of pressure in 2025 as they did during their Super Bowl run the year before. Jalyx Hunt was the only consistent edge rusher last year, which is why GM Howie Roseman rolled the dice on a midseason trade for pending free agent Jaelan Phillips. Mesidor will be 25 by draft night but could provide instant production – for a team that should be an instant contender – after leading the ACC with 12½ sacks in 2025, including 5½ in the CFP.

24. Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

Monken’s offense needs more than an overhauled O-line. If QB Shedeur Sanders is to have any shot at developing into a long-term starter here, he not only needs better protection but also more weaponry in the passing game. Cooper was Mendoza’s leading receiver for the Hoosiers last year, and his ability to give Sanders a reliable target out of the slot would be potentially be quite beneficial to Cleveland.

25. Chicago Bears – S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

Need a Monster of the Midway? How about a 6-foot-4, 200-pound DB with a penchant for big hits and finding the ball? And it certainly seems like the Bears might be in dire need of safety help with All-Pro Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker headed for the open market.

26. Buffalo Bills – WR Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee

A team which primarily needs help at receiver, interior O-line and pass rusher might be in a no man’s land that forces GM Brandon Beane to trade up to better fill one of those voids. Brazzell, who’s 6-foot-4 and 198 pounds, blazed a 4.37 40 at the combine and could immediately become the deep threat QB Josh Allen has needed. He certainly proved he could find the end zone, doing so nine times in 2025 for the Vols, for whom he also snared 62 balls for 1,017 yards. Yet Beane could probably deal back into the early part of the second round and get him or a similar player − like Louisville’s Chris Bell, a compelling talent coming off a torn ACL, or Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields.

27. San Francisco 49ers – OT Caleb Lomu, Utah

GM John Lynch admitted last week that he and Trent Williams, 37, are trying to find a financial compromise that keeps the legendary left tackle on the roster in 2026. But even if Williams plays another season, the Niners might be wise to get a replacement in house and – in Lomu’s case – a year to strengthen his 6-foot-6, 313-pound frame might be helpful.

28. Houston Texans – OT Blake Miller, Clemson

The All-ACC right tackle could solidify the protection in front of QB C.J. Stroud by becoming a long-term answer on an O-line that’s been in a state of flux for some time − and is now exporting Howard and Juice Scruggs. Durable, Miller averaged better than 900 snaps during three seasons for the Tigers and can play on the left side in a pinch.

29. Chiefs (from Rams) – Max Iheanachor, Arizona State

This had seemed like a perfect landing spot for Alabama QB Ty Simpson, who might have apprenticed for a year or two – or three – under league MVP Matthew Stafford before potentially taking the reins. Now, maybe Simpson could fill in early for Patrick Mahomes … nope. Nope. Maybe Simpson lands elsewhere in the first round, but it certainly won’t be in K.C.

Yet Mahomes has suffered the highest sack percentage of his nine-year career over the past two seasons and went down a career-worst six times in K.C.’s Super Bowl 59 loss. As he tries to return in time for this year’s regular-season opener, despite rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered last December, upgrading his protection seems imperative – especially given the pending release of RT Jawaan Taylor for performance and compensation reasons, plus the fact that Jaylon Moore didn’t wrest a starting OT job in 2025. Iheanachor isn’t a finished product but is a gifted athlete − one who might only need a bit of time (and ace tutelage from Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck) to displace Moore for the primary right tackle job opposite 2025 first-rounder Josh Simmons while vastly improving the odds Mahomes won’t continue running for his life in 2026.

30. Denver Broncos – WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

He has average size (6-0, 196) but elite short-area burst and quickness that could make him an ideal complement to Courtland Sutton in Denver’s passing game.

31. New England Patriots – DE Keldric Faulk, Auburn

Generating pressure wasn’t a strength in 2025 of the AFC champs, who only got Seattle’s Sam Darnold on the ground once in their Super Bowl 60 loss. Faulk is a gem in need of some polish but should be a three-down player who can kick inside on passing downs.

32. Seattle Seahawks – RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

While they’d certainly like to keep Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, it also didn’t sound at the combine like the reigning champs were going to pull out all the financial stops in order to keep him at the expense of other priorities − and Walker wasn’t tagged by the Seahawks on Tuesday. But Seattle doesn’t have the luxury of standing pat in the run game, either, given RB2 Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in January. Price is a slasher who starred in a timeshare with Love at Notre Dame and could nicely fill Walker’s role – maybe Shaheed’s, too, if the Seahawks’ can’t re-sign their pivotal return ace, either.

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How to watch Knicks host Thunder in possible NBA Finals preview

NEW YORK — A pair of NBA title contenders will face off for the first time this season in what might very well become an NBA Finals preview, and it’s happening in one of the iconic arenas in sports.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are traveling to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks on Wednesday, March 4, with both squads competing on the second legs of respective back-to-backs.

The Thunder currently have the best record in the NBA at 48-15 and just toppled the Bulls in Chicago on Tuesday, March 3, while the Knicks took care of Toronto on Tuesday night.

Since both teams played Tuesday, the injury report hasn’t been issued, but one thing to watch will be the status of last season’s MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed the win against the Bulls for management of an abdominal strain.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday night’s Oklahoma City Thunder-New York Knicks game:

The MVP shows up to MSG dressed to the nines

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, similar to many teams who get hyped up to play in this iconic venue, tend to play well here. It’s the one trip Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will make here this season — barring any potential matchup in the NBA Finals.

In case this is indeed his one trip here, SGA made it count with his pre-game look.

Thunder vs. Knicks starting lineups

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
  • Luguentz Dort
  • Cason Wallace
  • Chet Holmgren
  • Isaiah Hartenstein

New York Knicks

  • Jalen Brunson
  • Mikal Bridges
  • OG Anunoby
  • Josh Hart
  • Karl-Anthony Towns

Thunder vs. Knicks injury report

After missing Tuesday night’s game against the Bulls, reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not on the injury report and is expected to play.

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Branden Carlson, out (lower back strain)
  • Ajay Mitchell, out (left ankle sprain)
  • Thomas Sorber, out (ACL)
  • Nikola Topic, out (G League)
  • Jalen Williams, out (right hamstring strain)

New York Knicks

  • Pacome Dadiet, questionable (G League)
  • Trey Jemison III, questionable (two-way)
  • Dillon Jones, questionable (two-way)
  • Miles McBride, out (core muscle surgery)
  • Kevin McCullar Jr., questionable (two-way)
  • Mitchell Robinson, out (left ankle)

Thunder vs. Knicks odds

  • Spread: Thunder by 4.5 (-110)
  • Over/Under: 222.5 (O/U -114)
  • Moneyline: Thunder -184, Knicks +150

How to watch Thunder vs. Knicks: TV channel, live stream

  • Start time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
  • TV channel: ESPN
  • Live stream: ESPN, Fubo
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Who won blockbuster NFL trade? Grades for both Rams, Chiefs in swap

The Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs have swung the first major trade of the NFL offseason.

The Chiefs are trading cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams in exchange for the No. 29 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, along with fifth- and sixth-round picks this year and a third-round pick in 2027, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade could not become official until the start of the new league year on March 11.

The deal significantly changes the landscape for two teams desperate to claw back to the front of the pack in their respective conferences. For Los Angeles, it serves as the latest marquee veteran addition – at perhaps the most pressing area of need – for a team seeking to capitalize on NFL MVP Matthew Stafford’s return. The Chiefs, meanwhile, receive more ammunition for resetting a roster that still has several needs and is undergoing some salary cap-related shifts.

But who came out ahead in the deal? Here are grades for each team:

Rams trade grade: B

Turns out Rams general manager Les Snead wasn’t kidding about trying to maximize Stafford’s competitive window.

After the 38-year-old quarterback announced after taking home the league’s top individual award that he would be returning for the 2026 season, Snead later suggested that the team was intent on catering its offseason to ‘make the most of the time we have’ with the passer. On Tuesday, Snead seemed to tease the possibility of using one of his two first-round picks to swing a splashy deal.

“Is there an All-Pro that you could add?” Snead told reporters. “That would be nice.”

Less than 24 hours later, he has one in the former Chiefs standout.

McDuffie’s arrival shores up the back end of a Rams defense that unraveled down the stretch, culminating with Sam Darnold torching the group for 346 yards and three touchdowns in Los Angeles’ NFC championship game defeat. Coverage performance can be volatile, but the four-year veteran has reliably clamped down on opposing receivers. And parting with the latter of the Rams’ two first-rounders and holding onto their payoff from the Atlanta Falcons’ ill-conceived gamble last year was a nice touch from Snead.

Still, this is a fairly considerable compensation package – including the a likely extension that should be costly – for a player not in an elite tier at his position group. And there are at least a couple areas of concern.

At 5-11 and 193, McDuffie doesn’t solve Los Angeles’ lingering problem of matching up with bulkier receivers. Those size limitations led Kansas City to place the 2022 first-round pick in the slot early in his career, and the result was an All-Pro campaign in 2023. Staying there full-time with the Rams might be a non-starter given how much the team gave up to land him, but moving him inside at least occasionally should be a consideration.

McDuffie also struggled last season with the Chiefs tilting more toward zone coverages, allowing a career-worst catch rate of 67.9% and a passer rating of 96.3 when targeted, according to Next Gen Stats. That might seem like a bad fit for defensive coordinator Chris Shula’s scheme, which tends to live in zone looks. Maybe the move indicates the team wants to deploy more man coverage to better combat the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and other top-flight targets capable of burning the secondary.

There’s plenty to like about the configuration the Rams have to make this work, including the presence of Jimmy Lake, McDuffie’s college coach at Washington, as the newly appointed defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. And perhaps this was merely an overdue investment for Snead, who had largely scoured the bargain bin at cornerback since parting with Jalen Ramsey in 2023.

Still, as Snead somewhat returns to his ‘(expletive) them picks’ roots, it seems clear that the Rams paid a premium to address their most glaring deficiency with a proven entity rather than one of the draft’s top cover men. Whether that apparent overpay will be justified in the end won’t become clear until at least next January.

Chiefs trade grade: A-

The knee-jerk reaction for many in Kansas City might be best summed up by Patrick Mahomes.

‘Damn,’ the Chiefs quarterback wrote after news broke of McDuffie being sent packing.

Some disappointment is only natural for an organization attempting to reclaim its status as the AFC’s alpha after falling to 6-11 last season, the franchise’s worst mark in a decade-plus. Viewed through the proper lens, however, this deal might actually help fast-track a resurgence.

That general manager Brett Veach bailed on paying yet another standout cornerback should come as no surprise. Veach previously walked away from both L’Jarius Sneed and Charvarius Ward rather than pay them top-of-market contracts.

If McDuffie wasn’t in Kansas City’s long-term plans, offloading him before he reaches free agency might simply have been good business. Not only do the Chiefs not have to worry about fitting him into a cap-crunched roster this year and beyond, they can now focus on re-signing fellow cornerback Jaylen Watson, who ranked 13th on Nate Davis’ top 100 free agent rankings and likely would not have been able to return without the secondary’s sea change.

But the big boon here is the draft picks. As Kansas City gets set to make its earliest selection (No. 9) since 2013, the breadth of the team’s needs at premium positions is rather imposing. Yes, a wide receiver to assist Mahomes would be of massive value. Then again, a massively disruptive defensive end or defensive tackle could also be required. And don’t forget about the lackluster outlook at running back, safety and potentially tight end if Travis Kelce retires.

With a second Day 1 selection and additional draft resources in hand, Veach now is well-positioned to build something formidable for the latter half of Mahomes’ career rather than merely cling on to the vestiges of a bygone era. And going this route was necessary given what Kansas City faced with its salary cap.

Pressure on Veach, however, ramps up considerably in April. Describing the general manager’s draft track record as uneven would be charitable, and his various missteps in evaluating young talent have played a central role in Kansas City’s roster becoming so lopsided.

But Veach has also displayed a shrewd sense for when to sell high on his existing veterans, and he might have timed the market correctly again here.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Women’s basketball bracketology: Field of 68 before conference tournaments

Conference tournaments begin this week in women’s college basketball for a handful of leagues, including the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, Atlantic 10 and Summit.

It’s possible a lot of these projections will change by the time USA Today Sports rolls out another bracketology next week as teams will play in high-stakes games against marquee in-conference opponents on neutral courts. Up for grabs are a few undecided spots in the top 16 and positioning on the bubble.

The biggest change in this week’s projection is North Carolina moving up to the four-line after wins at Virginia and at home against Duke. For now, the metrics like the Tar Heels a bit more than West Virginia, Kentucky or Michigan State. Hurting the Mountaineers’ chances of hosting right now are its lack of Quad 1 wins, but they’re about to have the opportunity to pick up as many as three at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.

Here’s the full 68-team projection as of Wednesday, March 4:

Fort Worth 1

Storrs, Connecticut

  • 1 UConn
  • 16 Howard
  • 8 Tennessee
  • 9 Princeton

College Park, Maryland

  • 5 West Virginia
  • 12 Georgia Southern
  • 4 Maryland
  • 13 McNeese

Louisville, Kentucky

  • 6 Ole Miss
  • 11 North Dakota State
  • 3 Louisville
  • 14 Western Illinois

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

  • 7 Washington
  • 10 Clemson
  • 2 LSU
  • 15 Charleston

Sacramento 2

Los Angeles, California

  • 1 UCLA
  • 16 Cal Baptist / LMU
  • 8 Iowa State
  • 9 Villanova

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

  • 5 Michigan State
  • 12 Colorado / Richmond
  • 4 North Carolina
  • 13 Louisiana Tech

Durham, North Carolina

  • 6 Baylor
  • 11 Columbia
  • 3 Duke
  • 14 Vermont

Nashville, Tennessee

  • 7 USC
  • 10 Rhode Island
  • 2 Vanderbilt
  • 15 Navy

Fort Worth 3

Columbia, South Carolina

  • 1 South Carolina
  • 16 Alabama A&M / ETSU
  • 8 Oklahoma State
  • 9 Illinois

Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • 5 Texas Tech
  • 12 San Diego State
  • 4 Minnesota
  • 13 UC Irvine

Fort Worth, Texas

  • 6 Alabama
  • 11 Virginia / Nebraska
  • 3 TCU
  • 14 Idaho

Ann Arbor, Michigan

  • 7 Georgia
  • 10 Syracuse
  • 2 Michigan
  • 15 FDU

Sacramento 4

Austin, Texas

  • 1 Texas
  • 16 High Point
  • 8 Oregon
  • 9 Virginia Tech

Columbus, Ohio

  • 5 Kentucky
  • 12 San Diego State
  • 4 Ohio State
  • 13 Murray State

Norman, Oklahoma

  • 6 Notre Dame
  • 11 Rice
  • 3 Oklahoma
  • 14 Green Bay

Iowa City, Iowa

  • 7 NC State
  • 10 Fairfield
  • 2 Iowa
  • 15 Eastern Kentucky

Bubble Watch

  • Last Four Byes: Virginia Tech, Princeton, Clemson, Syracuse
  • Last Four In: Virginia, Nebraska, Colorado, Richmond
  • First Four Out: Mississippi State, South Dakota State, Stanford, Arizona State
  • Next Four Out: Utah, James Madison, Texas A&M, BYU

The bubble is still very much dominated by the ACC and Big 12. Virginia and Clemson are going to face off in Duluth, Georgia, at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday. The winner between the Cavaliers and Tigers is going to feel much better heading into Selection Sunday.

At the SEC Tournament, Mississippi State needs to win at least one game to get back on the right side of the bubble. In the Big Ten Tournament, Nebraska would do itself a favor by picking up at least one win to solidify its position. In the Atlantic-10, Richmond could pad its resume by picking up some impressive wins too.

Barring a deep run in the Big 12 Tournament, Arizona State’s fate is likely sealed with an 0-5 record in Quad 1 games and a NET ranking that’s behind seven mid-major teams.

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Lakers announce newest front office hire from Dodgers

New Los Angeles Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen has made a familiar hire, bringing another Los Angeles Dodgers suit with him.

The Lakers announced Wednesday afternoon the hiring of Michael Spetner as chief strategy and growth officer, a newly created position in which ‘he will be responsible for leading the organization’s long-term business strategy, driving value and identifying opportunities for international growth.’

‘As we look to redefine what’s possible across the sports landscape for fans and partners, we will build on the Lakers legacy and orient toward the future to consider what’s next,’ Rosen said in the statement. ‘Michael’s leadership will help us optimize our business to ensure long-term value.’

Spetner has been the Dodgers vice president of business strategy and analytics since 2015, where he reportedly focused heavily on engaging with international audiences. The Dodgers’ footprint in Japan has skyrocketed in the last two years after the signings of superstars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, and Spetner reportedly helped the team capitalize on that by overseeing efforts to launch a fan club based in Japan and the creation of an immersive exhibit in Tokyo highlighting the team’s history.

According to his bio on the Dodgers’ staff directory, Spetner ‘developed analytical tools and frameworks to help business leaders across the organization leverage data and insights to make key decisions.’

When Rosen first spoke with reporters in the days after his hiring, he mentioned that he ‘only dreamed of having the reach that the Lakers have’ in his role with the Dodgers. Spetner was a major part of building towards that dream, and now he gets the chance to push the Lakers’ growth even further as one of the earliest hires in new owner Mark Walter’s ongoing front office overhaul.

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